Saved by the bell
One of the 8-year-olds in yoga class asked me who God is and if there is only one God then how come we (Hindus) pray to a different God each festival?
Er, um, well....I was stumped. This kid was having a hard time accepting the pantheon of Gods in Hindu mythology. How do I explain that Hindu mythology is like a large corporation where Brahma is the CEO and then each aspect of running an efficient world is handled by a different department (I mean God). That's why Laxmi takes care of wealth (Finance), Saraswati of knowledge (Training), Vishnu of protection (Security), etc. etc. I was also not sure if I should break it to him that this is just mythology and that they are simply symbols that Hindus worship.
I was scared to give him my opinion especially since I know that his family follows Hindu traditions and worships the Gods religiously. I was worried that he would go home and challenge the ideas he's been fed so far ("My yoga teacher said she doesn't believe in Ganesh, yaadi yaadi yaada") and was also petrified of facing his mother's wrath...what if she beat me up for filling her son's head with "rubbish"?
Our time was up and so I ho-humed a "we'll talk next class" and was glad to have a weekend to think over what the approach will be.
Er, um, well....I was stumped. This kid was having a hard time accepting the pantheon of Gods in Hindu mythology. How do I explain that Hindu mythology is like a large corporation where Brahma is the CEO and then each aspect of running an efficient world is handled by a different department (I mean God). That's why Laxmi takes care of wealth (Finance), Saraswati of knowledge (Training), Vishnu of protection (Security), etc. etc. I was also not sure if I should break it to him that this is just mythology and that they are simply symbols that Hindus worship.
I was scared to give him my opinion especially since I know that his family follows Hindu traditions and worships the Gods religiously. I was worried that he would go home and challenge the ideas he's been fed so far ("My yoga teacher said she doesn't believe in Ganesh, yaadi yaadi yaada") and was also petrified of facing his mother's wrath...what if she beat me up for filling her son's head with "rubbish"?
Our time was up and so I ho-humed a "we'll talk next class" and was glad to have a weekend to think over what the approach will be.
5 Comments:
Can't believe you don't believe Ganesh. He's the best :)
That was really uneasy situation, I should admit that.
Beta, you teach theology now? :)
Yeah, it's a new career I'm considering ;).
God is one and he is everywhere and inside everyone.
Wouldnt that have done it? or am i totally unaware if what a 10yr old is like?
PS thats the xplanation i always got and now it doesnt even matter :-S
Yeah, "God is one" is a problem with a 10-yr old when he's taught about Krishna, Ram, Laxmi, Saraswati, Vishnu, Shiva...
I think when you're a kid, what's taught at home (especially when it comes to religion) prevails, in general.
Anyway, we talked about it and we're all on the same page now ;).
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